Macquarie Data Centres is partnering with Dell Technologies to deploy AI infrastructure across its Sydney campuses, combining Dell’s AI systems with Macquarie’s sovereign hosting facilities. The arrangement will see the Dell AI Factory with NVIDIA technology installed in existing data centres and the forthcoming IC3 Super West, which is due to open in 2026.
The companies say the collaboration is aimed at helping Australian organisations run AI workloads locally while meeting national data sovereignty and compliance requirements. Macquarie Data Centres CEO David Hirst said the project aligns with government priorities around building a domestic AI capability.
“For Australia’s AI-driven future to be secure, we must ensure that Australian data centres play a core role in AI, data, infrastructure, and operations,” said Hirst. “Our collaboration with Dell Technologies delivers just that, the perfect marriage of global tech and sovereign infrastructure.”
The IC3 Super West facility is being built to handle the high power and cooling demands of AI and high-performance computing. Its design incorporates what Macquarie calls a “fungible” approach – a flexible architecture that can support a mix of workloads, power densities, and cooling methods. This includes the ability to run both air- and liquid-cooled systems, allowing customers to adjust as AI deployments scale.
Gavin Dudley, group executive at Macquarie Data Centres, said this flexibility is becoming critical as AI infrastructure requirements change quickly. “A fungible data centre eliminates uncertainty by ensuring multiple options are available within the same environment,” he said. “Customers can start with air-cooled racks and transition to liquid cooling when the time comes, or move between AI and cloud workloads without major overhauls.”
Factory floor details
The Dell AI Factory with NVIDIA integrates Dell’s servers, storage, networking, and NVIDIA GPUs with a suite of AI software, reference architectures and deployment services. It includes NVIDIA AI Enterprise, a cloud-native platform for production-grade AI, and NVIDIA NIM microservices for secure, high-performance model inferencing. Pre-built “Blueprints” from Dell and NVIDIA allow organisations to fast-track applications such as enterprise chatbots, computer vision and advanced data analytics.
Dell’s professional services add further support, covering use-case selection, AI model development, integration with existing systems, and governance frameworks. Research by Enterprise Strategy Group, commissioned by Dell, found that while 50% of organisations already have generative AI in pilot or production, many face barriers including skills shortages (41%), data quality issues (37%), and regulatory compliance (33%). Dell positions its AI Factory as a way to overcome these issues with tested infrastructure and end-to-end guidance.
Jamie Humphrey, general manager of specialty platforms sales at Dell Technologies ANZ, said the partnership aims to make AI development more accessible. “Together, we are enabling organisations to develop and deploy AI as a transformative and competitive advantage in Australia in a way that is secure, sovereign and scalable,” he said.
Macquarie’s IC3 Super West will add 47MW of capacity to the company’s campus in Sydney’s Macquarie Park, with the full power allocation already secured. The facility is intended to support both AI-specific deployments and more general cloud workloads, reflecting a trend towards multi-purpose data centre design.
The companies have worked together for more than 15 years, with Macquarie being a Dell Titanium Partner. This latest expansion builds on that relationship by adding AI-specific capabilities to Macquarie’s data centre offering.
Pictured, top: Macquarie Data Centres x Dell Technologies team L to R: Paul Christensen GM of data centres and security, Macquarie Data Centres, Gavin Dudley VP of sales at Macquarie Data Centres, Angela Fox, senior vice president & managing director at Dell Technologies Australia & New Zealand, Jamie Humphrey general manager Australia & New Zealand specialty platforms sales, Dell Technologies
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